The present invention relates to a conferencing system generally, and more particularly to a mobile communication system with applied polarized filters and surfaces to control visibility of information or provide augmentation of information in a viewing area.
Many businesses today are global and distribute work around the world. This requires companies to search for ways to stay connected, solve problems, make decisions, and develop new ideas, while at the same time reduce travel and time costs. Various technologies are used to help companies with this problem including teleconferencing, video conferencing or telepresence, and web conferencing. However, experience using these technologies has been marred by problems such as poor sound, inappropriate lighting, distracting backgrounds and visual obstruction.
More recently, companies are using video conferencing or telepresence as an approach to solving the problem. Telepresence is a type of video conferencing and refers to a combination of technologies which allow participants at two or more locations to feel and appear to be in the same physical space. Video conferencing is gaining in significance and use. It is common today for people to use high definition systems to gain the feeling of being in the same room with the parties located physically separate. Rooms and other areas are frequently dedicated to provide a better experience when using the video conferencing equipment.
Using robotic telepresence, a person can interact through a robotic device with others at a distant location. Such a robotic telepresence system generally includes a robot and a controller through which the robot is operated, usually through a network typically located in a remote location or station. However, robotic telepresence has an unpredictable camera field of view due to its mobile nature.
A basic robotic telepresence system will facilitate video-conferencing interaction between the person operating the robot from the remote location (a “driver” or “pilot”) and one or more persons co-located in a physical environment with the robot. The basic system provides the robot and the pilot each with a speaker-microphone arrangement and a video display-camera arrangement, so that the driver can interact audibly and visually. In some circumstances, artifacts or information need to be hidden from the pilot for security reasons. Existing robots in a robotic telepresence system are not configurable to achieve selective control over the visibility of information accessible to a robot in the work environment.
Depending upon the configuration and capabilities of the station and the robotic device, the driver at the station experiences varying degrees of “presence” at the location of the robotic device. Persons co-located with the robotic device may also perceive the effect of “presence” of the driver at the station. The quality of the audio-visual interchange between the driver and persons interacting with the robot is a product of multiple considerations including, but not limited to, the type, number and configuration of cameras, displays, microphones and speakers on the robot and at the station.
In a robotic telepresence system there are a number of considerations and trade-offs primarily relating to the robotic device, including for example, capability, performance, size, weight, maneuverability, mobility, flexibility, adaptability, controllability, autonomy, robustness, durability, power management, complexity and cost. Also, optimum configurations of a robotic telepresence system may vary between different work environments, including the remote pilot environment.
Existing robots in a robotic telepresence system may not be configurable to achieve an optimum balance of considerations for suitably effective use in an office work environment. For example, a low-cost robot may not include suitable audio-visual capability to allow the pilot to function productively in meetings in an office environment. A robot having a high-end audio-visual capability may be too large or bulky for the environment, may lack mobility, or may cost more than is justified. A robot loaded with capabilities to facilitate higher-quality interactions for the pilot also may be difficult to operate and control or maneuver in the environment and may require substantial power or resources to maintain; such a robot may also be cost-inefficient for many applications.
In addition, the presence of one or more robots in a work environment may make people in the office work environment uncomfortable. Humans are accustomed to dealing exclusively with humans and not with robots functioning as mechanized representatives of humans. A robot that cannot effectively express non-verbal, human-like communications is not able to communicate fully and effectively; but a robot that is very human-like may make humans uncomfortable during interactions.
Uncontrolled light in the room can impair the experience for the individuals at the remote end of the video conference. Typically, cameras used in video conferencing systems include an electronically controlled, or “auto” iris lens which allows the lens to adjust to changing light levels. Light or other distractions coming through the windows can interfere with the auto iris lens of the camera resulting in participants appearing washed out or overly dark. Similarly, glare from lamps, background or surrounding display screens or other visible items in the video conferencing environment can be distracting to a remote viewer. Also in some circumstances, artifacts or information needs to be hidden from a remote viewer for security reasons.
Polarizing filters are often used in photography to control the intensity of light and thereby reduce bright lights or glare to an acceptable level. In particular, the emerging light intensity from two overlapping polarizers can be varied by rotation of the polarizers. Specifically, maximum light transmission occurs when the relative angle between the molecular orientations of two polarizing filters is zero. Likewise, minimum transmission occurs when the relative angle is ninety degrees. However, polarizing filters have not been used in robotic telepresence systems.
A system for selectively reducing unwanted light, glare and other distractions in a video conferencing environment to enhance both participant experience and technology performance is desired. Also, a robotic telepresence system which provides a robot that is both functionally effective and comfortable for humans who will interact with the robot in the work environment is desired. Further, a robotic telepresence system which provides selective control over the visibility of information accessible to a robot in the work environment is desired.